2014 Audi TT Delivers the Best Car Tech Yet

The 2014 Audi TT’s exterior looks amazing. The third-generation TT coupe has a familiar design, though it sports a more masculine look. As stunning as the car is on the outside, it is more impressive on the inside. Audi equipped this ride with extraordinary features that surely raises the bar when it comes to car technology.

Considered as the pièce de résistance of the new TT is its driver-centric virtual cockpit technology. The traditional instrument cluster and SAT NAV screen is replaced by the Audi MMI infotainment platform.

Audi put all the essentials in one 12.3-inch 1,440 by 550 pixel LCD panel, which is situated directly ahead of the driver in front of the steering wheel. This panel allows the driver to view navigation and listen to music, among other things, and monitor speed and engine revolutions at the same time.

The MMI platform is powered by two Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processors. One controls the virtual cockpit including the speedometer and tachometer, while the other controls the infotainment features such as media playback and mapping. It is also responsible for the stunning graphics, an improvement from the past versions.

The new TT offers two types of display for the driver. The first type is a classic view: it shows the speedometer on one side, the tachometer on the other and the multimedia view in the middle. The second type allows the multimedia display to take center stage. The dials are reduced in size to make media info or mapping take the entire screen.

The car makes it easy to shift between the two display types. There is a ‘View’ button that allows the driver to easily make the change, and it is found in the steering wheel. In fact, the driver can control every single thing on the system with the steering wheel.

Another thing that the latest TT makes easy is looking through features. The user need not scroll down a number of menus to find whatever it is he/she is searching for. The MMI search feature functions the same way as the search on a smartphone. All one has to do is type at the car’s touchpad, which looks similar to that of BMW’s iDrive, and the feature will find whatever it is that is needed.

Moreover, Audi’s MMI system is equipped with 4G data connectivity, which enables the driver to access real-time traffic data as well as navigate using Google Earth. Since it is software-based, the system can be updated with ease by simply downloading the updates directly to the vehicle.

It was reported that this tech marvel will also be found in the new Lamborghini Huracan.

The superb MMI infotainment platform is not the only thing that makes the new TT tech advanced. Even the car’s headlights are beyond ordinary.

LED headlights may not be new, but LED Matrix headlights are. These lights recognize oncoming vehicles and can therefore dip and dim individual segments in order to illuminate the path without blinding other drivers and pedestrians. What makes these headlights really awesome is that they do not have moving parts. A unique system of mirrors allow the lights to adjust brightness and shift direction.